A New Kind of Autobot
by The Cowgirl Bookworm
Summary: Well, what can I tell you about me? My name is Liz, well now Liz Witwicky. I have black hair, green eyes. My wings are usually white and oh, the Cube's power got transferred to me. Now how am I supposed to live a normal life when I have all this going on?
1. Chapter 1: Introductions

**Well, this is thr product of working to exhaustion, staying up way to late and drinking too many Sprites.**

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Sam watched with intense fear as Megatron lifted the Cube above him, the cause for the intense battle. He closed his eyes, Earth was doomed. Megatron would use the engery of the Cube to transform Earth's technology into monsters. It was all his fault.

"Now for him." Megatron growled, the sheer volume of his voice causing windows to crack and splinter. He turned his gaze toward the wounded form of his brother, Optimus Prime. The one thing that stood in his way of ruling this pathetic world. The Cube rested comfortably in his fingers, the crackling energy already causing him to be more powerful. A flash of white and the hurried beating of wings went by him and the Cube with it.

"Noooooo!" He yelled, turning to find the thing that had absconded with the, no _his_, Cube. A human girl, fifteen feet of white wings extending from behind her shoulders was all that he saw. She clutched the Cube to her chest, her winds folding around her as she dived toward Sam.

"Take it!" She screamed, fanning her wings out again to lift her high above the action of the battle below. Sam looked at the Cube, then at the massive form of Megatron bearing down on him. He did the only thing he could, he shoved it as far as he could into Megatron's chest.

Pure energy flew out of the fallen Decepticon leader, one striking the flying girl in the chest. Sam was flown backward by the sheer force of the explosion. A large metal hand covered him, Optimus protecting him from the shrapnel. As the tinkling of shrapnel became less and less Sam risked looking out from under Optimus' hand. The flying girl, her black hair a stark contrast to the white wings, hovered over Megatron.

"Wha-who are you?" He asked, saving himself from complete embarrassment by changing his question at the last second. The girl seemed to barely notice him, her mouth moving to only answer his question.

"Liz."

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I didn't want to pay anymore attention to this stupid kid. He sat there looking at me like I was from another planet. Then I looked at my wings, keeping me up in the air with powerful downward strokes. I sheepishly let each stroke get lighter and lighter, finally landing me next to the form of the fallen robot. I felt the strange crinkling as each wing folded into it's spot, hiding them behind my back.

"What?" I asked angirly, starting toward him. "Why are you staring at me like I just jumped off a UFO?"

"Well, it's just, you know... the wings." He mumbled, looking down at his feet. I ignored him and focused on the other massive robot rising from his inspection of the other dead one. he was red and blue, orange flames leaping around him like a giant, flagrant bonfire.

"Optimus Prime, I presume?" I asked, tensing in case I needed to fly up to speak to him. Luckily my fears were not needed as he leaned down to speak with me.

"Indeed I am, Liz. But how would you know that?" He asked, raising a large metal eyebrow.

"Well, you see-" I began, only to be interrupted by an irate man marching towards me.

"Liz! What the hell are you doing away from the Dam?" He asked, causing me to raise my shoulders defensively. This man was the one who had charge of me. Mr. Seymour Simmons, head of Sector Seven.

"I got worried, you guys didn't stand a chance against Megatron." I responded truthfully. I suppose I should come clean to you, the readers, about this as well. I was an experiment, a combination of peregrine falcon and human DNA combined in an aborted fetus. The only reason they were able to get this to work was by using the energy from the Cube to secure all of the loose DNA and such. I know there are books, namely Maximum Ride, and that kid with wings in one of the X-Men movies, but in reality they are all about me.

Oh, and the people who made them had to pay a huge fine for making them.

"Get back to the Dam, if you see any of the other soldiers tell them that as well. This place is going to be a magnet for the press." Simmons said, Simmons had been like a father to me. He was the one I could count on to watch out for me, and once you got pass the fact that he could be made out of 100% asshole, he seemed like a nice guy. I nodded, running down a side street and spreading my wings to catch the air and lift me up. The small thrill of excitement that always accompanied lift off traveled through me.

The city was in shambles, debris from various explosions littered the streets and sidewalks. People in panic ran through the streets, paying no attention to me as I flew above the top of buildings. I gingerly felt the spot where the bolt of energy that had come out of Megatron had hit me. A raised scar had already formed, it looked like a face only composed of mainly square shapes. Smoke drifted out of a small section of the city and barely visible through the smoke were people hauling large guns.

Soldiers!

I immediately folded my wings down into my body, falling faster than a person should have been able to withstand. The wind whipped through my hair, throwing the black strands back along my wings. Finally, just as my green eyes began to water slightly I let my wings snap open and propel me through the cloud of smoke. Reaching out with one hand I managed to grab a street light and, for lack of a better word, roost on the upper bar.

"Simmons wants you to head back to the Dam, the press will be here soon and it would be for the better if they didn't know about them." I said, nodding to one of the robots holding the remains of yet another one. One of the soldiers, who I would guess was the main, nodded his head and began to issue orders. My job finished I spread my wings and lifted off. Catching an updraft from the desert floor I rose high, high enough to glipse a fighter jet heading straight up. I put this out of my mind though, letting my wings beat out the rhythm that existed in my heart.


	2. Chapter 2: Demo and Combat

**Yep, I've decided for this to be my longifc. Enjoy! Oh, and Tainted Griffin I sent you a PM with some answers to you questions, not sure if you got it! I need to tell you guys about this great site that was part of the Trnasformers viral marketing campaign. It's called sectorseven . org (without the spaces) and the password to get in is deceptibot. Take a look!**

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I plunged downward, lowering myself quickly from fifteen hundred feet to ten by spreading my wings to catch the wind and slow my drag. I moved quickly along the convoy, looking for Sam. he had piqued my curiosity. He seemed.... normal. Normal is not something I get to see every day. Finally I saw him, after swerving to avoid a drifting Search and Rescue Hummer. He was driving a '10 Camaro painted a bright yellow with black racing stripes.

"Nice car!" I hollered, lowering myself closer to the road to talk to him. He seemed shocked to see me as I flapped alongside him; there was a girl with him to. A real Hispanic beauty, dark hair and bright blue eyes combined with a perfect tan. She was the girl that everyone liked.

"Wanna race?" I yelled at him again. Sam shook his head but his car jumped out of line in the convoy. I banked sharply to the left, gaining a little altitude and then coming down on his right side. The car accelerated sharply, as I peeked in the window I saw Sam banging on the dash and screaming at his car. I chuckled to myself as I flew faster and faster, losing myself in the pure rush of speed. We were about fifty miles from the Dam and it seemed to disappear as we lost the convoy behind us. Now my usual flying speed is about fifty miles per hour, lowest is about twenty but when I want to go fast, I go fast. Simmons clocked me at a hundred and thirty miles per hour once.

"Look out!" The girl screamed, as I plunged over the edge of the canyon that surrounded Lake Mead. I laughed at her concern, tilting myself so I caught a fresh breeze coming off of the lake and let it raise me up. The convoy was parking in the special Sector Seven parking lot. It was special because the parking lot was on an elevator, much like you would find on an aircraft carrier. It would lower and then a roof would go over it. I folded my wings, aiming for the platform just as it was headed down. I snapped open my wings at the last second, towering over Simmons.

"Jesus Christ in heaven!" One of the soldiers exclaimed, jumping backwards. I pulled my wings back in, folded beneath the slits in my Kurt Warner jersey. I had made the slits myself, one on either side of my spine so I could retract and send out my wings without having to take off my shirt. The elevator creaked and moaned as it made its way down to the first level of our Hoover Dam base. Simmons and I immediately moved forward, into main entryway. I looked back behind us, the rest of the soldiers; the girl and Sam were standing there looking awkwardly around them.

"Come on, don't just stand there." I said, "Your rooms are this way." The followed, rather like a herd of sheep. We passed through the X-ray scanning room, a rather intrusive way to check and see if you were holding any concealing weapons. After that came our reception area, all bland earth tones and photos of the Dam.

"Liz, take the kids. I've got to have a meeting with the soldiers." Simmons requested, "Oh, take Sam to his parents. Guest room five." I nodded, motioning for the two of them to follow me. The girl seemed a little apprehensive; I could feel her eyes on my back. I walked up to our elevator bank and pressed down.

"Okay, you two. Let's just get this out of the way. I'm Liz, I have wings. Now, I know you're Sam and you are?" I said, rustling my feathers slightly and pointing to the dark haired girl. She muttered something before cautiously putting out a hand.

"I'm Mikaela." She said, I clapped my hand to hers and gave it a firm shake.

"You see? Its fine, you didn't explode or disintegrate. Just treat me like you would treat anyone else." I said, releasing her hand and looking into her eyes. The elevator pinged, jerking my eyes away from her. They stepped into the car behind me.

"Level three, please." I said aloud, feeling the car begin to move farther into the Dam. I looked back at Sam and Mikaela. "Computer activated."

"Level three." A pleasant female voice said, the doors opening to reveal tan carpet and white walls with picture of the Dam's construction plastered roughly every ten feet. I pointed straight down the hallway.

"First door on your right, your parent's door has a big number five on it." I said, directing him to the guest rooms. He and Mikaela clasped hands and hurried down the hallway. I took off in the other direction. The cafeteria was deserted, but Missy was still singing happily in her kitchen.

"_I'm livin' in fast forward_

_Hillbilly rock star out of control_" Missy, our cook, sang along to her ancient radio tuned in to the local country station. She smiled at me as I walked in, pointing to a plate heaped high with hamburgers.

"Help me with those will you?" She asked, I winked and began putting them into buns. Pretty soon our work was done. Missy sat fanning herself in the stifling heat of her kitchen while I tried to whip up a breeze for her with my wings.

"You mind if I take a few more than usual? Some of the new people here are hungry." I asked, putting four of the little patties onto a cafeteria tray.

"Not at all, my angel." Missy responded; that's what she always called me. Her angel. I nodded my thanks and left with the tray packed with food. Contrary to what you might think, the base isn't usually all wound up, tensions were high right now because of the fight in Mission City but the people that passed by me in the hallways still nodded and smiled at me. I continued down the hallways, coming to the door that opened into the guest room hallway. A vase filled with flowers sat on a small end-table. There were originally six guest rooms but when I was born Simmons had them knock down a wall and combine two of them into my room. I placed a hand on the door to number five and opened it slowly to let them know I was here.

"Hi! I, uh, brought you guys some food." I said rather lamely. Sam took a burger from the tray and took a bit out of it. He moaned and flashed a thumbs up sign at me. Mikaela and his parents followed suit.

"Yeah, Missy's a good cook." I said, sitting down on the floor. Sam and Mikaela were on one bed and his parents on the other. Sam's mother had bright red hair and lively green eyes, a stark contrast to his brown haired and balding father.

"Oh, Mom, Dad. This is Liz." Sam said, putting a hand in front of his mouth. Mrs. Witwicky smiled, and extended a hand.

"I'm Judy and this is Ron." She said, gesturing to her husband. "How did you meet Sam?"

"Oh, Ma you should have seen it. She just came flying in for the rescue. It was incredible." Sam said, about to launch into a full blown tale of the battle.

"What does he mean?" She asked, looking down at me. I heaved a sigh and stood up. My wings slowly extended, their tips touching the sides of the guest rooms. Ron jumped back on the bed slightly.

"Oh, oh my. Do they hurt?" Judy asked, looking at them with a kind of admiration. She reached out with one hand but jerked it back a second later.

"It's alright, you can touch them." I said, holding the right wing steady. Judy reverently trailed her fingers through the messy, fuzzy down feathers at the top of the wing to the long flight feathers beneath. I shifted slightly as her fingers tickled the skin below.

"They're beautiful." She whispered, looking back to me. Ron followed his wife's example, patting the very top of my left wing. This private moment was interrupted as the door burst in, a Sector Seven agent standing there.

"It's getting late, Liz get to bed. There's plenty of time for visiting tomorrow." He said before leaving. He was right, I was tired and I needed sleep. I bid my farewells to the Witwicky's and retired to my room. I quickly slid into a bath, sighing in happiness. I didn't worry about them getting wet; they had a type of water repellent covering that kept them dry no matter what. When I was done washing my hair I flopped down onto my bed and listened to the Dam go to its work. Every night the Dam continued to process the water of the Colorado River into hydroelectricity.

"Liz, Liz are you here?" A voice asked, sounding more than a little frightened. I shot up and looked around in the darkness, my door was open and someone was standing there. Mikaela walked forward to sit on the edge of my bed.

"What is it, Mikaela? Are you scared?" I asked, spreading out a wing to encompass her. She nodded.

"I'm just not used to having so much noise around me and I know I'm going to have nightmares about the battle." She whined, I pulled her closer and leaned her back onto my bed. I took up a spot in one of my chairs.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, the Dam is always this loud and nothing bad is happening. As for the battle, I'll watch out for you tonight and keep the bad dream away." I said, feeling rather foolish. Mikaela nodded and burrowed into my bed. I fell asleep in the chair, and when I woke up in the middle of the night Mikaela had gone. Gladly I fell into my bed, swinging a wing over the side of the bed.

_Knock, knock, knock_.

I woke up to this persistent knocking. I was still groggy as I opened the door. Sam stood there in a nice shirt and a pair of pants - no doubt provided by Sector Seven - waiting for me. I cocked an eyebrow, unwilling to talk at the moment.

"No one will tell us where the food is." He complained, I held a finger in the universal 'wait a minute' sign and closed the door. I pulled on a shirt, pants and boots and walked back out. I gestured for them to follow me. We walked to the elevator bank, took a left and took a right at the chapel. The cafeteria was already full, the visiting soldiers laughing and elbowing each other with gusto. Sam, Mikaela and his parents left and got into line. I grabbed a tray, a plate, and a glass of orange juice. I filled the plate with pancakes, drizzled syrup over it and sat down across from Mikaela. Two soldiers noticed us and sat down on either side of me. One of them was a young, bald African-American and the other was a typical farm boy with a spiky brown military cut.

"Sam, Mikaela." The brown haired one said, nodding to the two of them. I nodded to him, my mouth currently working on masticating the mass of pancakes. Mikaela, thankfully, intervened for me.

"This is Liz. Liz this is Major Will Lennox and Technical Sergeant Ray Epps." She said, gesturing to the brown haired man first then the African-American one. I smiled, trying to keep my food in my mouth.

"Hello Liz, I like your, uh, wings. They're pretty." Lennox said, as I swallowed my pancakes. Our group laughed with each other as we ate, and I refilled my plate with bacon and hashbrowns several times.

"How can you eat like that and stay so skinny?" Epps asked, watching as I bit into several pieces of bacon.

"Fast metabolism and flying. You want to burn calories like no one's business, fly." I answered, lifting my wings slightly. I looked across the cafeteria as a Sector Seven agent walked boldly across the cafeteria.

"Oh, Liz there you are. Simmons wants a full demo right now!" He said, grabbing my arm to pull me along. I snapped my wings closed, back underneath the shirt. The Witwicky's, Mikaela, Lennox and Epps stood there staring at me.

"You can come, they won't hurt you." I said, gesturing for them to follow me. We crowded into an elevator and walked the ramp up to the top of the Dam. The sun was rising, turning the surface of Lake Mead behind the Dam into a golden disc, some ancient relic of a Pharaoh. The soldiers were all gathered around the edge, watching as Simmons gestured over the expanse from the top of the Dam to the Colorado River beneath. I spread my wings, showing them exactly who they shouldn't mess with. I stood in front of Simmons, my wings tucked behind me enough for them to see but so Simmons could talk around them.

"Ah, here she is now. Gentlemen, this is Liz. A genetic hybrid between Peregrine falcon, human and Cybertronian." He announced, placing a hand on either of my shoulders. "If the Cube was our crown jewel, she is our crowning achievement. The product of twenty years of research. Liz, show them what you can do." Simmons ordered, stepping away. I let my wings extend fully, then closed my eyes and concentrated. I had the ability to change the color of my wings, a camouflage ability that they had given me. Since I was wearing a blue shirt I changed them to red. With white skin, red wings and a blue shirt I felt very patriotic.

"Whoa, that's incredible." One of the soldiers said, walking forward to examine the crimson feathers. I quickly changed them to blue and yellow then back to white. Simmons had explained to me how I was able to change the colors of my wings one time, it involved a lot of complex genetics and a natural instinct for camouflage.

"Her wings are also completely bullet proof. Watch." Simmons took a few steps away, drawing his pistol. I left my right wing out, completely exposed to the gun. A crack of gunfire echoed and the bullet ricocheted off of my wing and dug itself into the top of the Dam. With little hesitation, I leaned back letting myself fall off of the Dam. I heard several shocked screams and a few 'oh God's before I pulled out of my free fall and spread my wings.

I leveled off about five feet above the river, letting the spray from the river dance around me as I sailed over it. I smiled as I let my feet just barely touch the water, slowing me slightly. Once I came to a rather strange rock formation, I banked to the left sharply. With my left wing tip almost touching the water I swung around in a tight U-turn. I headed back up the way I had come, pushing myself faster and faster. When I reached the Dam I immediately flew upwards, the concrete that I had just fallen from racing by me in the opposite direction. I continued at my speed, even as I saw Simmons with a speed gun aimed at me. Once I reached a thousand feet of altitude I turned down, folded my wings and raced toward the earth. Just as I was able to make out the shocked faces of the soldiers, I snapped my wings open. Shooting past the top of the Dam I performed a few barrel rolls and circled back around. The crowd was now pressing up against the edge of the Dam, and surprisingly there were several cars from the convoy that seemed to be watching me as well. As I turned for my final landing approach to the Dam I noticed a symbol that was etched on each of them. It was the same as the one on my chest.

"Simmons, what are they?" I asked, dropping ten feet to balance precariously on the edge of the Dam. He looked at me, smiling slightly.

"NBE-1's cousins, they call themselves Autobots." He replied, I nodded flexing my now rather sore wings. Barrel rolls always did that to me. The soldiers were buzzing with questions, and in the chaos around Simmons I was easily able to grab Sam and Mikaela and pull them back into the base.

"Computer, Level Five please." I asked the elevator, gaining questioning looks from Sam and Mikaela as we descended into the depths of the Dam. "Laser tag." I said, answering their unasked question. Sam's face lit up and Mikaela had to restrain herself from clapping her hands. The laser tag arena was filled with places to hide, sniper stands, and many perfect places for Mexican standoffs.

"Okay, Liz. No flying, no camo. We're going to try and make this fair." Sam said, lifting a vest over his head. The vests that we were all wearing had three lights that you were supposed to shoot at, two on the shoulders and one over the heart. The laser gun was placed on the right hip for easy access. Laughing at the absurdity of the situation we stood in the arena. I pressed a button on one of the walls, causing a beeping to go off.

"Thirty seconds to hide, when the lights go off the game begins." I announced, sending the three of us scurrying off in different directions. Even though I was prohibited from using my wings I was still able to secure a protected sniper stand and wait. I shut my eyes as the lights went off and plunged us into complete darkness. Luckily when they combined my DNA with a falcon's my eyesight and hearing became incredibly advanced. I relied mostly on my hearing, one hand extended out so that I wouldn't run into anything. High pitched feminine laughter came from around the corner, sending me immediately to press myself up against a black wall. Lights, pale but still bright enough to see, came into the hallway. Mikaela. As soon as her back was to me I lifted my laser gun and fired. The laser beam hit her in one of her shoulder lights, causing an irate pinging to go off. She squealed and spun around, firing erratically.

"Hey! Hold up there! Truce?" I asked, holding up my gun. Mikaela looked at me and nodded, slowly replacing her gun back in its holster. We circled each other cautiously, watching for the slightest movement of the other.

"Players 3 and 4 have entered the game." A computerized female voice said. I watched as Mikaela went up to one of the balconies in the hallway we were standing in. I joined her. Lennox and Epps were moving slowly through the course, watching each other's back as real professional soldiers would.

"Us against everyone?" I whispered, leaning my head out of the balcony window.

"Oh yeah." She replied, hoisting her gun back up. I did the same, then held up three fingers.

_Three_...

We took a steady aim at the two soldiers below us.

_Two_...

Our fingers hovered over the triggers.

_One_...

We let loose a barrage of red lasers sending Lennox and Epps scurrying for cover. We broke down laughing as the two soldiers cursed and ducked behind a small hallway. We ran down the ramp to the lower level, laughing our heads off. We had just caught sight of the soldiers as the light suddenly burst to life, temporarily blinding us, and signaling the end of the game.

"You two!" Lennox said, rubbing his eyes briefly. We laughed back at his expression. That was until a Sector Seven agent that I didn't recognized came running up, winded as if he had been running for his life.

"Decepticon! A hundred miles and closing fast!" He cried, sending everyone into a panic. Lennox and Epps quickly stripped themselves of their laser tag vests, already garbed in their military fatigues.

"_Liz to the main Research and Development Room, ASAP._" The intercom sounded, sending me racing out of the arena, past the elevators and into the R&D hallway with the others on my tail. One agent stationed outside the main room jumped upon seeing me.

"Alright, they need you in here immediately." He said, swiping his I.D card and causing the glass door to retract. The lab itself was in organized chaos, white coated scientists running around. They were lifting shiny metal parts, tampering with small microchips and doing a hundred other things all in the space of a few minutes.

"Liz, here. Boys in R&D have been working all night with Ironhide, the Autobot's weapon's specialist, to get these ready. We feared a counter attack would come soon but not quite this quick." Simmons said, striding in a dark suit out of the sea of white. He gestured to several objects that lay on a sheet of clean white paper. Two of them looked alike, small cannons or guns made out of a shiny, sharp metal. There was a set of sunglasses, bright metal connected to darkened lenses, relatively normal looking compared to the other devices on the table. Right by them was a small circle with a Velcro strap.

"Brand new targeting system, small cameras are embedded in it allowing us to get a visual in the Intel Room, plus the glasses are hooked wirelessly to the new guns we've outfitted you with. Pick a target and press the button next to your thumb and you'll shoot off the guns." Simmons said, lifting the sunglasses and placing them over my eyes. everything retained its color but now when I focused on a particular person or object, the targeting system embedded in the sunglasses brought it into higher focus.

"New cannons, based off of a combination of NBE-1's weapons and Ironhide's." He said, lifting the guns and strapping them on my forearms. Two small rectangular devices fit into each palm. "Swords that can cut through any material, the blades are stored in a type of subspace. To summon them you simply squeeze your palms together." I focused on a black haired man standing behind Simmons. He had piercing blue eyes, fierce features and a scar that ran over his right eye.

"Of course, we also have flares. Simply press the button on it and it will dispense enough flares to distract any missile. Also here," Simmons said, handing me a small black device, "A communications device. We can hear you, you can hear us. Go get 'em." He finished, patting my shoulder and steering me out of the lab. This was my purpose, to fight enemies that weren't quite human. I had gotten a black belt in three different types of martial arts and was trained in the most advanced weaponry in the world.

"**Okay, Liz? Is the COM working?**" I heard a voice buzz in my ear.

"**Roger, what's the location on the bogey?**" I asked, stepping into the elevator. The elevator rose steadily, headed up to the very top of the Dam.

"**120 klicks and closing fast from the north.**" The War Room answered back, I nodded. A klick meant a kilometer, a hundred twenty meant a hundred twenty kilometers and that was roughly 75 miles. The elevator pinged to let me off at the top of the Dam. It was actually concealed in an 'Out of Order' storage closet. I pushed open the door, my wings spreading out to catch the early morning wind. Ironhide, the Autobot's weapons specialist, stood motionless by Optimus Prime. I recognized him as the robot that had been holding the dead one. Speaking of that dead one, his remains had arrived at the Dam during the night and were currently situated under a tarp on one of the canyon sides.

"**Roger that, airborne now. Use codenames from here on out Ballroom.**" I said, referencing to the War Room. I knew Simmons and the soldiers would be gathered around the massive screens that occupied the back wall.

"**Yes ma'm Valkyrie, radio back when bogey spotted.**" I took a running leap and unfurled my wings. There was a small snap of pain and next thing I knew I was fifty feet up in the air and climbing fast. The sky was clear for about fifty miles before I caught sight of an F-22 Raptor.

"**Ballroom, this is Valkyrie. F-22 Raptor spotted. This match with any D-Cons?**" I sent back, rising above to get a good look at the plane traveling below me. D-cons was the name we were using to refer to any possible Decepticons. But, I digress, back to the plane. It was in a typical Raptor design, double tails and two large Pratt and Whitney engines.

"**Ten-four, Valkyrie. Matches right up with D-Con lieutenant Starscream.**" The radioed back, I banked left sharply, dropping down to get a good look at the cockpit. There wasn't a single soul inside the fighter jet.

"**Ballroom, Ballroom. This is Valkyrie. No pilot visible in F-22. I repeat no pilot visible.**"

"Shit, she can't go up against him!" Simmons yelled, pressing the button to cut communications with Liz before he had his little outburst. Simmons was standing behind banks of computers, each with a Sector Seven agent working it. Each of them trying to prolong the life of the girl that many could well call his daughter.

"You don't know that, those new guns you've given her are bound to at least cause some damage." Lennox interjected, looking up to the TV screen that occupied the whole back wall of the War Room. A video of Starscream currently was on it. Occasionally you would catch a quick glimpse of Liz's wings on the corner.

"How did you guys even notice him anyway?" Sam asked, looking up to the monitor displaying Starscream.

"The agents we had in Mission City noticed an F-22 that wasn't out of Nellis circling the city. The called in the report." Simmons explained, more focused on the events unfolding before him than what had already happened.

"**Ballroom, Ballroom come in.**" Liz's voice echoed throughout the room, Simmons had released the button.

"**This is Ballroom, do you copy Valkyrie?**" One of the agents working a computer radioed back.

"**Permission to engage, he's getting close to the Dam.**" Liz responded, and they could see the picture begin to waver as she flew after Starscream.

"Director Simmons, does Valkyrie have permission to engage hostile D-Con?" The radio agent asked, turning around to look at Simmons. Sam watched as Simmons chewed on his bottom lip, his eyes still focused on the screen.

"Permission to engage?" The agent asked again, his voice breaking slightly.

"Permission granted." Simmons said, his voice sounding like a whisper. _I just sealed her fate_.

"**Valkyrie, permission granted to engage hostile D-Con. permission to engage granted.**" The War Room radioed back; I folded my wings and pressed the button next to my thumb. The gun on my arm became a whirring machine. It spat out bombs, some of them bouncing harmlessly off of the plane but several sticking and detonating. The plane stopped and seemed to morph, the wings flew back to become a wide set of shoulders. The cockpit slid back to become his chest and a glyph appeared on the metal that had moved to become his leg.

"Vile cretin!" He, it, yelled. He lunged for me; I closed one wing and spiraled out of his grip. The cannon spat out more bombs, blinding him temporarily. I took this opportunity to fly away as fast as I was able to. I heard the high whine of jet engines and he was on my tail But no matter how fast I beat my wings he kept coming after me. My energy began to fade, the altitude at which I was flying decreasing with each second. He was going to get me, it was inevitable.

_I'm going to die_. The though flashed briefly through my head, and the second it left I felt a new energy surging through me. It was like getting hit with a Tazer only a lot less painful. My speed increased and I heard the Decepticon curse and felt the disturbance of the air as he put on more speed.

"V**alkyrie, Valkyrie do you copy?**" The radio went off in my ear.

"**This is Valkyrie, over**." I radioed, diving downward to confuse Starscream.

"**You're going over Mach 1, you're supersonic**!" The War Room told me, sounding more shocked than myself. How the hell was I going over the speed of sound? I looked behind me, a trail of blue light followed me, small sparks inside the main stream. Okay, something weird is going on. I mean, I wasn't even flapping my wings fast, they barely moved at all. The Dam came into view, my speed decreasing as I thought about going slower and slower.

"Come here you blasted flying femme!" Starscream cursed, grabbing at me as we did a dangerous dance of death over Lake Mead. He had six missiles in one of his hands, three of them going off. One came at me, the other two heading towards Ironhide and Optimus as the vainly tried to provide some cover fire.

"NOO!" I yelled, launching myself in the path of the missiles. My hands were held in front of me, as if to throw up a shield. But that's exactly what happened. The missiles detonated, the explosions not going past me. The flames licked at the invisible wall, trying to get to me. It held firm though, not even the tiniest crack to let a single piece of ash through. The Autobots were safe, their fire going straight through my wall. Starscream returned fire, still unable to breach my defenses.

"I have had enough!" I screamed, throwing my hands out at him. A sparking line of blue energy, like the trail that had followed me, burst out of my finger tips and wrapped itself around Starscream. Suddenly I became one with the machinery in him. I felt the missiles, and crippled each one of them. They wouldn't be able to launch. I opened my eyes; I had closed them to move the machinery in the missiles. Starscream was staring at me, intensely. I flicked my finger tips, sending the energy line jumping and the Decepticon flying beyond the horizon and probably the atmosphere. I snorted with a sense of satisfaction, then turned my attention to the Autobots. They were looking at me, but one of them wasn't functioning.

"Poor Autobot." I murmured, flicking my finger tips to send out more energy. _Wait, how do I know how to do this?_ The thought jumped through my mind, but it was like something else was controlling me. The energy that I had sent out lifted the dead Autobot out from beneath the tarp that covered both halves of him. Like I had with Starscream it was like I had become one with the machinery. I repaired tubes, hoses, welded metal back together. All with my eyes closed. But there was something missing.

**_Light his Spark, little one. Light his Spark and I will explain all._**

The voice echoed through my head, deep and strong. It had the same metallic quality that the Autobots voices had. I lifted my hands and looked at them, they were shiny. Not just from sweat but like there was a piece of metal underneath them. I moved my gaze, pinned to the light that was shining from my scar. It was ablaze with a silver light, not even muted by the fabric of my shirt. _Spark_. I lifted my fingers, trying to summon the energy rope again. I came willingly, jumping to the floating Autobot's chest. There was a crackling noise and the last thing I saw was bright blue eyes and then it all faded to black.


	3. Chapter 3: Revelations

**Author's Note: I haven't included a disclaimer yet so here it goes. I do not own Transformers, the characters, lyrics to "Livin' In Fast Forward" by Kenny Chesney, I only own Liz and the plot. **

**I am going to mention one sight and give a shout otu to the geniuses that did the Transformers viral marketing campaign. Go to sectorseven . org and enter deceptibot as the password. This is where i found the actual maps for the Sector Seven Hoover Dam base. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ugh, what happened?" I mumbled as I pulled myself up, wings fanning out of my back. I was standing in a forest, only it was unlike any forest I had ever seen. The trees were made of brightly polished metal, the leaves were made of different jewels and the sky looked like a sun-shot ruby.

"**_Little one, come to me_**." A voice echoed out of the forest, wrapping itself around me and pulling me along. I raised one hand to bat away a branch and screamed. There was a tattoo on my hand, a single glyph. My eyes went to my arms as the line of glyphs continued, spiraling lazily around my forearm and down my chest and legs. Why was I marked like this? Why?

"Because you're the one holding onto what little is left of my world." A voice said, causing me to look around in shock. A man sat there, reclining on a rock. Glyphs covered him, just like me, but his skin looked like it was made of metal. He shimmered slightly in the sun of this imaginary forest.

"What?" I asked, spreading my wings slightly.

"What's left of my world, where I came from, is in you now." He said again, enunciating slowly.

"Who are you?" I asked, sitting down cross legged in front of him. Even though he was acting hostile - and by that I mean a standoffish jerk, I felt calm around him. He smiled at me, his eyes the same bright blue that all the Autobots had.

"You can call me Primus."

---

Ironhide examined the little femme in his massive hand. The waters of Lake Mead lapped at his waist, he was currently holding onto one of the canyon sides. Her wings were splayed out and her chest rose and fell rapidly with each breath. The weapons that Sector Seven had outfitted her with flowed like water, retracting to beneath her skin. _Humans shouldn't be able to do that_. He thought, bringing the injured girl back to the Dam. _Then again, she's not completely human_.

"Oh my God! Liz!" Simmons yelled from across the Dam, throwing people out of the way to receive her from Ironhide. The scar on her chest, which Ironhide had just noticed looked like a like a carbon copy of an Autobot insignia, shone like a spotlight. The ground shook and rumbled as Ironhide stepped onto the flat road leading up to the Dam. He gently moved his hand down; Simmons quickly grabbed her from him.

"Get a medic!" He ordered, supporting Liz with both his arms. He almost dropped her though as her wings began to glow. It was as if an electrical current was racing down them, highlighting each feather in a brilliant blue glow. The glow began to fade, taking the wings with it.

"Sir, what just happened?" An agent asked, taking several steps backwards.

"Get a medic!"

---

"Well Primus, just what the hell is happening to me?" I asked angrily, sliding my hands back in the grass under me. Primus smiled, then leaped to his feet and turned to look at the sky. He didn't creak when he moved but it was as if he was made of the brightest metal I've ever seen.

"When I created the Allspark, I knew that one day there would be death caused over it. So, eventually I decided that the Cube would have to transfer itself into a living being. Someone that would be able to think for them self and choose the decisions that would be of their own mind. A person that wouldn't allow them self to be controlled by the mere will of others. The person I decided on just happened to be you." Primus said, turning his head over his shoulder to speak to me.

"Okay, I already get that I'm not normal. Why not Sam? He's the one that really saved the world." I responded, slamming my fist down in a huff. I yelped as a cannon, one of the ones that I had had on, emerged from my forearm.

"That's why. Sam didn't have the knowledge, or the guts, to take on this role. If you hadn't noticed, when he gets into a fight he tends to run away. You on the other hand, are willing to make a stand and give it your all. I needed someone who was willing to defend the Allspark with everything they had."

"What's with the cannon though? Did all the tech they had on me just melt into me or something?" I asked, glaring at the cannon. The image seemed to waver, the cannon separating into small streams of metal and retracting beneath the pores of my skin.

"I believe that is your answer."

"Really? I never would have guessed." I responded sarcastically, bringing my wings around me.

---

"We've stabilized her for now but it's like her body just went out of control." One of Sector Seven's doctors said, looking back at the girl lying on the starched white hospital sheets. Ratchet stood by, not in his robot form but in a hologram of a person - a holoform - to provide assistance.

"I've never seen a human able to withstand that kind of speed, unless they were contained in an airplane." Ratchet interjected. A shaggy mop of blond hair and a freshly trimmed handlebar mustache were not the only remarkable thing about him. Like the rest of the Autobots, his holoform eyes were a piercing electric blue. Optimus stood nearby, red hair and slight splash of freckles covered his nose. Ironhide stood silently by the bed; his eyes were an ice blue and his features severe as always. He was here as a guard, not even a marine could provide as a good protection as he could.

"Sam, you're certain you told us everything that occurred when the Cube was destroyed?" Optimus questioned, turning to the youth.

"Yeah, oh wait. There was a kind of weird lightning bolt that hit her." He said, walking over to the prone girl. He stopped his finger over Liz's chest where the scar still glowed, as pale as moonlight. "Right there."

"Simmons, I have a question. When you engineered the genetics into her, did you use energy from the Allspark?" Optimus queried, bringing his gaze to bear on Simmons.

"Well, yeah. That was the only way we could get the genes to combine without destroying themselves." Simmons said, looking at Liz.

"I feared this."

---

"Not only have I given you these powers, but I also gave you access to sub-space." Primus said, leaping down to touch the very tips of my wings. I gasped; it was as if I had touched a live power wire. My wings felt as if they were dissolving. "I apologize for the pain, I promise it will fade."

"What did you do?" I gasped, dropping to my knees. I raised my hand and brushed it over the spots on my shoulders where my wings attached. I felt smooth skin, no sign that my wings had ever been there. Tears welled up, I was normal. Finally I was normal.

"Even my own people I gave this ability to. Aspects that would cause you to stand out in public, you can hide in sub-space. Your wings are still there as is the swords they equipped you with, reach for them and you will be able to feel them." He ordered, I responded by reaching behind me to feel my back.

"No you idiot, feel with your mind."

"Well I can't exactly do that with you hovering around me!"

---

"Feared what exactly?" Simmons said, meeting the Autobot leader in the eyes.

"When you combined the Allspark energy into her cells, it lay dormant until a huge Energon power burst reactivated them. Basically, she's been supercharged with Energon." Optimus explained, drawing a stray black lock of hair out of Liz's face.

"So, where'd all the tech go? We had those cannons on her, the swords, all that crap and it just vanished?" Simmons asked incredulously.

"Well, Director if you would just take a look at the X-rays." One of the white coats said, flipping a few switches on the wall to turn the overhead lights off and the back lights on the X-ray display on. Liz's body was highlighted, her bones a strange see through green. Fiery green ropes ran through her though, centered mainly on her forearms, hands, eyes and one of her hips.

"I think we found our tech."

---

Sure enough if I focused on how my wings had felt, the way the wind would caress them and the softness of the feathers against my back, I felt them. With a victorious yell I snapped them open and took to the skies. It felt good to fly again, and I let them slow my fall back to the ground. Primus smiled, exposing teeth that looked as if they had been carved out of diamonds.

"Excellent, I am afraid that I must leave you soon. The small coma that I have drawn you into cannot continue much longer if you are to live." He said sourly, frowning.

"Just a few more things. Those whips, what exactly are they?" I asked, grabbing his arm.

"Pure Energon. They can help you, that is if you learn how to use them. Anything else?" Primus answered, and already the forest bedecked with jewels began to fade.

"Why does my scar glow?"

"The Energon is distilled from sunlight, it stores within your body and when you use it you scar will glow. Think of it as a light bulb. When you're using your power it will shine."

---

Ironhide tossed his feet up, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. It had been two days since the epic battle with Starscream. The Witwicky's had been sent home, along with most of the soldiers. They had received some depressing news yesterday; Sector Seven was being shut down.

"Because of several recent instances the President had deemed it applicable to cut funding for Sector Seven." The presidential agent had said, leaving to cries of outrage and anger. The Autobots had been told that they were to report to an abandoned Air Force base near Tranquility, but Ironhide had remained to provide protection for Liz. He jumped up as Liz's wings suddenly flashed back into existence, and her eyes flickered.

---

"How was I able to go supersonic? That should be impossible." I said, flexing my wings.

"Can you stop with the questions?" He grunted, stopping to stare at the fading forest around us. I ground my teeth, staring hard at him. "Fine, the Energon in your body will respond like that when you are in need of it. The main trigger is emotions, but if you are able to control them that you can master the Energon inside of you."

"Primus, I think it's time for me to go." I said; sure enough when I lifted up my hand it was see through. Primus leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"Go, I release you. Forever you shall be my Chosen One."

---

"Well, that was a hell of a dream." I said, raising my arms above me to stretch. A continuous beeping filled the room I was in, and the surrounding were a stark hospital white which gave me no doubt as to where I was. I held one of my hands up for inspection; sure enough the glyphs were still there. Picking an image of bare skin I focused on it and felt a small thrill as the tattoos disappeared.

"What did you do?" A voice said, I turned to see the black haired man that I had noticed when I was being outfitted with all of the tech that was now inside of me. He was dressed in military fatigues but they were black, not khaki.

"Huh?"

"The markings on your skin, they just disappeared!" He spit out, jumping back to look at me. I disregarded his last statement and went to stand up; the machines attached to me gave off warning beeps. I tried not to focus on the pounding in my head as I stood up. Ugh, it felt like I had a massive hangover.

"You need to lay down. I'll bring Ratchet in to check on you." The guy said grabbing my shoulder and gently lowering me down back onto the bed. For acting like a real jerk for the first five seconds I had met him, he actually seemed like a kind of nice guy. I mean if he wasn't worried about me he wouldn't have been in here. I stared up at the ceiling tiles, at one of those black spots that they seemed to think looked incredibly good on the gray ceiling tiles in industrial buildings and schools. I pressed my hands over my eyes, that spot had suddenly come into complete focus. Must be the targeting system that melded with my eyes.

"Thank Primus; we were worried that we might have lost you." A voice said, the black haired guy had brought a blond doctor in. Oh, so Primus is their God I guess? He seemed like a kind of a jerk, but oh well.

"Okay, who the heck are you guys?" I asked, leaning back into the pillows.

"I am Ratchet, the Autobot Chief Medical Officer. You've already met Ironhide, our weapons specialist." The blond doctor said, pointing at himself and the man in military fatigues. He scarcely inclined his head in a greeting.

"Bur aren't you guys like twenty feet tall?" I queried, cocking an eyebrow.

"These are our holoforms, a way to interact with your kind without the risk of stepping on you." Ratchet said, reaching over to silence the erratic beating of the heart monitor and other medical machines. I snorted at his attempted humor, Ironhide just rolled his eyes.

"Show him what you did earlier." Ironhide remarked, causing me to think of my tattoos and bring them back. Ratchet pursed his lips and ran his gaze over the glyphs. The glyphs themselves were beautiful and complex. They reminded me of Japanese calligraphy but it was as if they had been taken to the extreme.

"Hmm, Optimus would be able to read it. Perhaps when you check in with him on your way to Tranquility he will be able to translate it." He mused, before drawing in breath as I sent them away.

"Wait, Tranquility? What's going on?" I said, sitting up and staring at Ironhide and Ratchet. They shifted uncomfortable under my gaze.

"We were rather hoping that we might break the news later, when you've recovered more..." Ratchet trailed off.

"Tell me what's happening Ironhide." I growled, clenching the hospital bed's sheets in my hands.

"Sector Seven's been shut down. You've been legally adopted by the Witwicky's." He said bluntly. I stared at him in shock, my mouth moving but no words coming out. _Why? Why? What about Simmons? Where would he go? Wait, adopted?_

"I need to see Simmons. Now." I whispered. Ratchet shook his head, then yelped as he was lifted five feet off the ground. That must have been what Primus meant by the powers were controlled by my emotions.

"Liz, put Ratchet down. I'll take you to Simmons just put him down." Ironhide said, reaching up to grab Ratchet's foot. He yanked his brother back down as I felt the Energon slowly leave me when I began to calm down.

"Take me to Simmons, now." I ordered, rising from the bed. The influx of Energon had managed to get the room to stop spinning but my head still hurt immensely. "Feels like I've got the world's worst hangover." Ironhide grunted, which I took to possibly a laugh, then pulled the door to the recovery room I had been placed in open despite Ratchet's multiple protests.

"Ironhide, Ironhide stop! She needs to rest more! She needs-" He was cut off as the door closed.

"Move quick before he gets that door back open. When he gets mad he starts throwing things." Ironhide said, walking faster. I matched his stride with a small sense of pride. We exited the hospital portion of the fourth level. The fourth level was mainly divided into our hospital, including a morgue, _eww_, the hydroponics system and other support facilities including a warehouse.

"Level three please." I asked the computer.

"Simmons is on level one. He's in a conference room." Ironhide said, looking at me strange.

"Yeah, I need to change." I replied, pointing to the paper thin hospital gown I was wearing.

"You humans and your modesty. I will never understand it." He remarked. I quickly ran to my room as soon as the elevator stopped. When I opened my room, I froze. All of my stuff was gone. My bookcases, filled with fictional stories and histories of Sector Seven, my bed, my desk. It was all gone. A set of clothes, jeans and a shirt, hung in my closet and my Macbook sat charging on the floor. I opened it up and typed in my access code to the Sector Seven files. If what Ironhide had said was true, and I was leaving here, I was taking as much info about Sector Seven as I could. I gave the proper commands to the computer and let it slowly download the files.

Someone had been kind enough to leave me my makeup and brush in the bathroom. I quickly brushed on some foundation, blush and eye shadow. I looked back at the computer, **20% downloaded**. The download continued as I brushed my hair and ran my fingers across some of my wing feathers to tidy them up. **75%**. Ironhide walked in just as I was applying my mascara.

"Liz, come on. We need to hurry." He said.

"Joooot ooooe moo eeente." I replied, my mouth held open to put the mascara on.

"What?"

"Just one minute." I repeated, then quickly cast a glance through the mirror to check on the laptop. **Download Completed**. Smiling I flipped on some sandals and picked up my laptop then led the way out of my room. As I closed the door I couldn't help but think I was closing a door on a chapter of my life. I disregarded this thought as I followed Ironhide back into the elevator.

"Level one." He commanded, not even giving me the chance to intercede. We rode in silence, even walked in silence. That was until Ratchet caught up with us. He came out of nowhere, barreling towards us.

"Ironhide, take her back now! She needs rest!" He said, grabbing my hand.

"I'm going to see Simmons, whether you like it or not!" I growled, pulling away from him. I already had a glimpse on Simmons in a glass walled conference room. He looked like he was briefing several soldiers who looked like they were zoning out or messing around. I burst through the door, glaring at him.

"Exactly what the hell is going on? I wake up and get told that we're shut down!" I yelled, the anger I felt charging itself with Energon and lifting everything in the room. The soldiers yelped with shock as their chairs rose a foot in the air.

"Oh, Liz. What exactly are you doing to the chairs?" Simmons said, nonchalant as ever. I felt a hand on my shoulder, trying to sooth my anger. I looked back to meet Ironhide's eyes, he slowly shook his head back and forth.

"Simmons, can I talk to you alone for a second?" I asked, letting my anger go. The chairs crashed back to earth with the sound of cracking plastic. Simmons obliged, joining me and Ironhide in the hallway, Ratchet fumed silently in a corner.

"Listen Liz, I tried. I tried every way I could to save this place. You think you're the only one who's attached for this place? My family's put over three generations into Sector Seven. And now it's all gone. I got you complete access to the accounts we had set up in case of this. Here's the card. Take this too." Simmons whispered, pressing a plastic card and an old worn, leather journal into my hands. "Don't read that until you get to the Witwicky's. Ironhide here is going to take you to the Lennox's house in El Centro, California. You ought to get there by tonight, then Ironhide will transport you to the place where the Autobots are staying and then to the Witwicky's house. Ratchet will be following you in case you get a sudden relapse from the Energon in your system."

"This is all happening way to fast. I never expected to leave here." I replied, gripping the card and the journal tightly. The card had access to the accounts that Sector Seven had set up in case of anything like this happening. Sector Seven was nothing if not prepared.

"Go on, Ironhide and Ratchet will keep you safe." He said, turning to go back to the conference room.

"What about you?" I asked, not moving an inch.

"Oh, I'll find my way back. I'm like a bad penny, I always pop back up." Simmons chuckled before ducking back into the conference room. That was the last I would see of him for a very long time. Ironhide pulled me along with him into the parking lot elevator. He gestured to the large black GMC pickup stationed next to a bright yellow Hummer.

"Get in." He said, and then he disappeared. If you blinked your eyes you would have missed it. His whole being just flashed out of existence. Reluctantly I snapped my wings back into sub-space. I was shaking slightly as I pulled open the passenger door. By the time I had seat belted myself in it had extended to my hands. They shook uncontrollably, whether out of nervousness of Energon relapse I didn't know. A comforting hand was placed on mine, stopping the shaking. Ironhide's holoform was sitting in the driver's seat, his arm extended to mine. He raised an eyebrow.

"You're cold." He said frankly, then turned to root around in the backseat. He emerged with a heavy combat jacket, a black leather affair that one of the soldiers must have left behind. He placed it on my shoulders, and then turned his attention to the steering wheel. A slight shudder passed through the truck as the elevator started up. In several minutes the elevator sat at the top of the Dam. The diesel engine roared to life and quickly took to the road. I felt a slight bulge in the pocket of the jacket. I reached into it, then pulled out a hardback book. There was a picture of a diving submarine on the cover.

"_The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy_." I read aloud, running my fingers reverently over the cover. I was in luck; this was one of my favorite war books. I flipped open to the first pages and began to read as Ironhide drove himself. My suspicions had been confirmed, like me the Autobots had adopted another form to blend into their environment. Ironhide had picked this pickup.

"What's that about?" He grunted after we had been driving for a good hour.

"Submarines." I replied, flipping the page to follow the adventures of Jack Ryan and Captain Ramius.

"They got cannons?"

"They've got massive torpedoes."

"I take it they blow up?"

"You can't fight without blowing stuff up." I laughed, "Do you want me to read you some?"

"Sure." He replied. I began to read, letting the word fall off of my tongue. We were halfway done with the book when we reached the Lennox's house. It was a two story farmhouse, sitting behind a big field of hay. Ironhide had to drive up through a gravel road off the main highway. He parked next to a large copse of trees and was shortly joined by Ratchet. I gazed in awe of at the sky. Huge pillars of black cumulonimbus clouds were slowly making their way to the Imperial Valley floor, bringing much needed rain to the parched desert.

"Liz?" I heard a sweet voice ask, I looked out of Ironhide's window. A young woman stood there, her blonde hair twisting in the rising wind. I opened the truck's door and hopped out as she moved back so she wouldn't be hit by the cloud of dust that came off Ironhide as he shook himself like a dog.

"Hi, I'm Sarah, Will's wife. Why don't you come inside and we'll get you something to eat?" She said, holding open the door for me. I walked in and immediately fell in love with the place. A large cat was nursing a litter of kittens in front of a fireplace which was occupied by a roaring fire. Will Lennox was tending to the flames, positioning a new log into an ideal spot.

"Will, Liz is here." Sarah said, pulling a steaming bowl of beef stew out of a microwave in the kitchen. Will gave a slight wave from his new location on the couch, watching a football game. I collected the food from Sarah and took up a spot on a chair.

"You like sports?" He asked.

"Yep."

"What team?" Will elaborated; I finished my stew before replying.

"Arizona Cardinals." There was a crash of thunder that obscured any more conversation. The storm had arrived and was now bearing down full force on the tiny farmhouse. The lights buzzed and flickered but remained on.

"Will it's getting late. Annabelle's already in bed, so we need to get headed that way." Sarah reminded her husband, "Why don't you show Liz to the guest room?" Will gave a nod, and then gestured for me to follow him up a set of stairs and into a bedroom. A small closet was situated on one wall and a twin bed on the other.

"Night Liz." He said, before closing the door. As the storm wreaked havoc outside I sat on the edge of the bed. I couldn't do this. I couldn't be normal. I mean, look at me. Massive wings and new found superpowers. I wouldn't exactly call that normal. I had to leave.

I shoved the leather journal and the plastic bank card into the inner pockets of the combat jacket I had now appropriated. I took it off and tied it around my waist. I slowly made my way over to the window, opening it slowly to avoid any unnecessary creaking. My wings, freshly recovered from sub-space, rustled slightly in the small amount of breeze that was entering through the open window.

I stepped over the sill, hovering in the air slightly to close the window. I looked down at Ironhide and Ratchet, who had both taken cover underneath the grove of cottonwood trees. I would miss them, especially Ironhide. He seemed to care for me which was something that not a lot of people did. I put the thought out of my mind though as the wind from the storm played with me. It blew me over fields of hay and other crops before I finally managed to get some form of control. If not for my camouflage ability I would have been spotted immediately.

A huge streak of lightning shot through the sky, bringing more of the torrential downpour with it. I looked down below me, at the lighted arteries of the highways and roads. As I banked right sharply I noticed a single car break off from the line and follow my course. I did a 180 and went the other way. The car followed. I dove down close to a field with trees at single corner of it. The car followed. I settled myself up on a trunk that looked as if lightning had blown it away. The car, or should I say truck, pulled up to rest underneath the trees.

"Why are you running away?" Ironhide rumbled, speaking through his audio system.

"Because you guys expect me to live this stupid normal live! If you haven't noticed I'm not normal! I'm the exact opposite of normal! I'm a genetic freak!" I yelled, tears or raindrops streaking down my face as my frustration reached its breaking point. Ironhide didn't respond for a while but when he did his voice was calm.

"I know you are not normal. I would never expect you to be normal. I wouldn't have accepted you as my charge were you merely normal." He replied smoothly.

"What do you mean, 'I'm your charge'?" I asked, glaring at him. He shifted his weight from one tire to another before replying.

"After I saved you from drowning in Lake Mean - which I did by the way - Optimus gave me the choice of becoming a guardian for you. You were in need of a guardian, it was going to be one of the Autobots regardless but he came to me first. He knew that the changes that were taking over you happened to be in a militaristic way, as the Weapons Specialist I would be able to help you come to terms with what you can now do. You intrigued me, not only because of the weapons, so I accepted. That's why I was there when you woke up. I care for you and do not wish to see you harmed." Ironhide said, causing me to jump off the stump so I could speak to him without the chance of the storm blowing me away.

"First thing, I have never heard you use that many words in the whole time I've known you. Second, I really appreciate the fact that you care for me, because frankly not a lot of people do. I just don't think I have enough courage to do stuff like this. I mean it sounds easy to be normal but I can't figure out how!" I sobbed my final will breaking down as I began to cry.

"You have courage Liz; you would not have stood up to Starscream and Megatron if you did not have courage. Out of all the humans that I have met so far on this planet I hold you in the highest esteem because you are the most courageous person I have met here." Ironhide replied, his voice turning soft with care.

"I-I'm scared, scared that I won't be able to live up to everyone's expectations. They all seem to think that it's going to be incredibly easy for me to blend in. But it's not easy at all, especially with these new powers. I mean I get just the tiniest bit angry and everything starts floating and flying around. I know the Witwicky's just want me to be myself but I'm afraid that they'll ban me from flying, the one thing that manages to calm me down." I moaned, sitting in the dirt and pressing my head against one of his all terrain tires. There was a pause before Ironhide commented.

"You can do this; you've already done so much. If you get overwhelmed come to me. I'll take you to a deserted spot and you can fly to your heart's content. Perhaps you can read me more of that book."

"_The Hunt For Red October_?"

"Yes, that one with the submarines. I did enjoy the first part that you read me." He said, illuminated briefly in the flash of lightning.

'I think you've found at least on aspect of human culture you like." I laughed, wiping away my tears.

"Perhaps I have."

"Thanks for this Ironhide; I really was going to leave but now... I think I'll give this whole thing a shot." I replied, standing up and stretching my arms. Ironhide gave a satisfied grunt and opened his driver side door. I do have to admit, riding in an Autobot was strange. I just had to place my hands on the wheel to make it appear like I was driving as Ironhide drove himself back to the Lennox's house. The gravel made a wet squelching noise as Ironhide drove over it. As soon as I opened the door Sarah Lennox was all over me. She had a pained look on her face as she handed me a nightgown and directed me to the bathroom. I changed out of my clothes, leaving them to dry on the shower curtain rod. I snapped my wings back into sub-space as I pulled the nightgown over my head.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled as I came back out. I hung my head in shame. Sarah looked at me and sighed deeply.

"Ironhide told me when you left, right before he went out to get you back." She explained, having me follow her into the kitchen.

"I didn't mean for you guys to worry. I-I just got scared. When I get scared I fly, like a bird. It's in my genes." I said, giving a little laugh at my own joke as Sarah poured cocoa from a kettle on the stove. She gave me a tired look as she placed a few marshmallows on it.

"I understand, get back to bed. You've got a big trip tomorrow." She said, giving the top of my head a little pat as she left. I heard her walk back up to her and Will's room. I sipped the cocoa for a few minutes before I took it up with me to the guest bedroom. I set it on the night table, and then huddled underneath the quilt. My body was still wet from the storm so I shivered slightly.

"Why are you always cold?" I heard a voice chuckle, its familiar rumble reminding me of a truck.

"Just am." I replied sleepily as Ironhide opened the closet, spread another quilt over me, and tucked it around my body. The night felt safe with Ironhide and Ratchet watching over the Lennox's house and with Will, Sarah, and Annabelle asleep.

"Thanks." I said, even though no one was there to hear my comment.


	4. Chapter 4: New Home

"Liz, come on Liz. Wake up." I woke up to the sound of Sarah Lennox's sing song voice pulling me from my sleep. I had dreamt I had been flying over the Grand Canyon and had just perched on a towering rock spire. I had raised my wings to welcome the morning sun, feeling more majestic than anything on earth. The sun had warmed my wings before Sarah's voice broke in. I groaned as I opened my eyes.

"Alright, jeez. Why the rush it's only...." I trailed off, looking at the bright red number on the alarm clock, "Seven. I haven't been asleep that long." Sarah sighed, before answering my question in a rather annoyed voice.

"Ironhide and Ratchet have been hammering on me to get you up and moving. I've brought your clothes in from the bathroom." She said, gesturing to a cahir where she had folded my jeans, jacket and shirt. The journal and card sat on the night table. I yelped as I lifted my shirt up, a small black and white kitten had curled up inside it. She cracked one emerald eye and then closed it. I lifted her up, cuddling her close to my chest.

"You can keep her if you want, our cat had to many kittens for us to keep track of." Sarah said as she left. I nodded, then kissed the kittens head.

"I'll call you Dia, my dear." I whispered, before hiding her in the bed and changing my clothes. With her in one hand and the journal and debit card in my other I made my way downstairs. Ironhide stood at the bottom.

"You're bringing a pest with us?" He asked as he caught sight of Dia.

"Yes. she's coming with us." I replied, holding the cat closer. She didn't even bother to open her eyes. Will was already gone, having left early to check on a field that one of his friends owned. Sarah stood on he porch and waved goodbye as Ironhide drove away.

"That pest is going to lubricate all over me." He complained, turning his holoform around to look at Dia curled up on his back seat. The cat didn't notice him but gave off somehting that I can only describe as a grunt. I read more of _The Hunt for Red October_ during our trip until Ironhide pulled into an Air Force base that looked like it had been abandoned since the late eighties. Paint was peeling from the walls and stray parts were strewn across the runway which had large potholes and weeds growing thorugh it. You'd never suspec to find giant alien robots hiding out in a dump like this.

"Wow, you think they would have given you guys a better place to stay. This place is crap." I complained, shutting Ironhide's door. Dia had awaken while Ironhide drove, she meowed patheticaly until I let her out. She trotted by my side until she saw Optimus. Dia hissed, hiding behind me. Great, I get the cat afraid of alien robots. Optimus was sitting cross legged inside one of the hangers, a rather ridiculous position to see him in.

"Why Liz, I see Ironhide managed to not get you killed." He checkled, earning a glare from Iornhide and a few electric shierks that I assumed were curses.

"Yep, so this is where you guys are staying?" I asked, looking around at the hanger. It was painted a faded gray, the paint peeling in a few corners. Someone, probably one of the Autobots, had tried to make it seem a bit more cheery by burning an Autobot symbol into one of the walls.

"Indeed, rather primitive by our standards but as soon as Ratchet and Jazz make their renovations it should be rather nice." He explained, holding out one massive hand. I smiled as I stepped in. Dia yowled for me to come down, the ran into a corner hissing as Ironhide transformed into his robot mode. She then picked up with her yowling. I swear, I've only known the cat for an hour but she hated it when I left.

"You feline seems agitated." Optimus noticed, as I sat down on his hand. I was just about to answer when Ratchet thunderedin through the massive, steel airplane hanger doors. He didn't look happy.

"Liz, show him the tatoos." He commanded, I grunted and let them cover my skin like the alien hieroglyphics they were. Optimus bent over to study them, his bright blue optics dancing over my skin.

"'Behold I am the Chosen, Primus guides me. I am his right hand and his warrior, all who stand in my way shall perish. Those that stand with me shall rise above the others, Primes. I bring Primus' justice to this world. He shall guide me in my path. Do not defy the Chosen.'" Optimus read, raising his head from my arm. Ironhide, Ratchet and he looked like they were shaking in their boots, if they were wearing any that is.

"What does that mean?" I asked, staring at the now scared Autobots. Ironhide and Ratchet looked at each other before kneeling down on one knee and crossing their fists over their chests.

"It's a very old Cybertronian prophecy, one that proclaims the justice that our god, Primus, would bring onto the Decepticons." He explained, sending me looking at the glyphs yet again. Primus, that stupid jerk, was using me as some sort of super weapon? Oh, he messed with the wrong girl. I am not letting him just use me. I looked down at the two kneeling Autobots.

"And them?"

"They merely are showing their respect for you. You've probably risen above me in their eyes." Optimus chuckled, ever optimistic even in weird situations. Ironhide gave a cough, then spoke.

"Optimus, permission to speak?"

"Ironhide how many times have you actually needed permission to speak?"

"Sir, I am unworthy to serve as the guardian for Primus' Chosen. Only a Prime could possibly guard her, not a miserable, violent wretch like me." Ironhide intoned, never looking up. I gasped, my wings snapping out of sub-space.

"Don't you ever say that. Ever!" I ordered, "You're my friend, and you will never talk about yourself that way. And quit kneeling, stop acting so subordinant. I hate seeing you guys do this. You are not lower than me." The two of them hastily stood up, muttering apologies.

"It seems command comes easy to you." Optimus said, laughing yet again. I growled, jumping upwards to let my wings catch the air and float myself down in front of Ironhide. He met my gaze with a guarded stare of his own.

"Forgive me." He requested, casting his optics down.

"Just don't do it again okay? I don't like seeing you guys act like slaves to me." I whispered. Ironhide looked at me and blinked, then nodded. I circled lazily around him until I was bel to approach Dia in her corner. She batted playfully at my wings as I picked her up. I was just about to launch myself up when a rather loud, and incredibly silver, robot entered.

"Yo' Op, who that?" He asked, speaking in what I would likely refer to as hip-hop dialect.

"Jazz, this is Liz, the one that brought your sorry aft back to life." Optimus expalined, sending me to try and look intimdating but I think it just made me look like an angel with a serious steriods problem. That or a puffed up chicken.

"Ah, hey there little darlin'." Jazz said, lifting a visor that had descended over his optics. He held out one massive metal hand in a huge high five. I gladdly responded, my palm slapping his with a fleshy _thwack_. He laughed before turning back to Optimus.

"Shouldn't Ironhide get her moving, Sam's parent are always getting pissy."

"Jazz, don't say that.

"Hey, Ron called me a worthless piece of metal. I get a little touchy when someone insults me." Jazz defended himself.

"Shorty." Ironhide responded, jumping sideways as Jazz launched himself at him. Ironhide laughed as he danced around Jazz's small swipes at him, finally getitng him in a headlock and refusing to let go despite Jazz's attempts to slap him away.

"Come on, you think you're such a big bot well then let's see it!" He taunted before recieving a withering glance from Optimus. He released the smaller robot and gave a mumbled apology before stepping away.

"Ironhide get her to the Witwicky's, then makes sure hse doesn't get into _that_ much trouble." Optimus ordered, sending Ironhide back into his truck mode. I gave a Optimus a smile and a wave.

"Maybe I can try and come back and see you sometime." I said. Optimus nodded, then motioned for me to get going. I obliged, hiding my wings again, depositing Dia in the backseat and straping myself in. Optimus, Ratcchet and Jazz watched us as Ironhide drove out of the hanger. I didn't bother bringing the book out, the akward silence between Ironhide and I couldn't be solved by reading.

"I can't believe that you are the Chosen one." He mumbled, making me turn to look at him.

"Why?"

"I just-just hoped it wouldn't be you. It's not that often that I meet someone who's willing to put up with me and calls me a friend. I just hope that we can still be friends." He stutterd, dropping his hands from the wheel momentarily.

"Hey, come on bud. It doesn't matter if I'm the Chosen one or Little Caeser. We're friends." I declared, grabbing the steering wheel to avoid an oncoming car. Ironhide smirked and waved me away. I shrugged and let him take over.

"Dear Lord, that's the Witwicky's house? It's huge!" I cried, pressing my nose up to the window. The house was a brown brick affair that squatted protectivly over its yards. A garage stood off to the side, tire pathways leading up to it. Ironhide rumbled along before pullling smartly ot a stop at the curb of the tree lined sidewalk. I collected Dia, the journal, the card and the laptop from the backseat, holding Dia to my chest as I made my way up the path to the porch.

"Oh Liz, we're so happy you're here!" Judy said, throwing the door open and rushing down the porch. Dia was smothered between us and quickly yowled to be let out. As Judy crushed the air from my lungs Ron walked over.

Honey come on. You're choking her." He said, pulling his wife off of me. I took several deep breaths before smiling brightly. Sam stood moping by the door but beamed as I walked by. Judy led me through the living room and up a flight of stairs. She proudly opened the door to one of the rooms. It was painted a bright Caribbean blue, carpeted with a beach sand tan and filled with the white furniture from my room at the Dam. Framed photos of different beach scenes hung on the wall.

"Do you like it?" Judy asked, sitting down in the white wood chair that was situated slightly away from a matching desk. I nodded and placed my laptop down on the desk. Dia prowled around the before settlig herself into a cushioned window seat. White breezy curatins were pulled aside to reveal the carefully tended yard in the back. Well, it used to be carefully attended. A decorative fountain was in shambles and the yard was filled with holes in the shape of Transformer feet.

"And you know what the best part is? You get a bathroom tacked onto it." She replied, opening a white door set into the wall. The bathroom lay behind, cheery tile covered the floor. A small blue carpet rested outside of the bath and shower, accompanied by white towels that had small seashells embroidered into them. They had really gone all out tiwht eh beach decor. I absolutly loved it.

"Thanks for all this Judy." I said, closing the door to the bathrom. A tarnished copper sun watched over me from its perch on the wall. A Bose stereo sat on top of a chest of drawers, which was probably filled with clothes.

"Please call me Ma." She requested, I immediatly hardened. I had never known my actual mother, Simmons had been the only father type I had ever known. To have an actual mother would be something that I had never known. I gave a stiff nod, shocked when Judy placed her hand on my shoulder.

"I'm really glad you're here." Judy, I mean Ma, said. I smiled, then hugged her. She walked away, closing the door behind her. I picked up the leather journal, flopped into the window seat with Dia, and began to read.


	5. Chapter 5: School

I thew Simmon's journal at the wall, pulled off my shirt and called my wings back to me. Their soft whiteness comforted me, muffling my cries. It felt terrible to read the journal, of course I was curious about my past but to read it, to have all the origins of oneself bared is like someone punching you in the face. Slowly I stopped crying, dragging my hand under my nose. after a few breaths I felt normal again. Dia meowed from her perch on my bed before burying her head into her paws.

"Liz, Mrs. Witwicky wishes you to report downstairs for their evening meal." Ironhide said as his holoform walked in. I gave a little shriek and blocked my chest with my wings. He cocked his head. "What?"

"Get out! Get out! Get out!" I screamed, reaching for a pillow to throw at him. He ducked and retreated back into the hall. I shrugged my shirt back on, then came out. "You knock! Okay? From now on you knock!" I berated him. He seemed a little shocked to see me acting like this.

"I did not mean to offend you, Liz" He spoke slowly, as if to make sure his meaning was clear.

"Just knock okay?" I lightly cuffed his head. I heard him laughing as I made my way down the stairs to the dining room. The table wasn't set up, and delicous smells were coming from the living room. The witwicky family was gathered around the television, plates of food in their laps. I was direced to the kitchen where a bag of fast food rested. I pulled something, I think it was a taco, out of it. I dropped it and felt myself gag slightly.

"Liz, are you alright?" I heard Ironhide ask.

"Yes, I'm fine but this food isn't." I groaned, "Come on, we're going shopping." I started to walk down the hallway.

"Shopping?" Ironhide asked, catching up with me.

"Yep."

* * *

If the Witwickys noticed I was gone they didn't show it as I brought in the groceries. Ironhide was following me carrying several of the heavier bags. I whipped up a quick salad and walked back out. They merely waved to me as I stepped outside to eat. It was just so different, not to be monitered every minute of the day. I kind of missed the attention. At least those people cared about me. I let the silence welcome me though, letting go of my anger, my hatred and my thoughts. A fresh breeze began to blow. I ran back up to my room, threw on one of my ahirts from Sector Seven and sat on the windowsill. I had just lifted my second leg over and was about to launch myself up into the air when I head a cough from behind me.

"Flying, already? Don't you remember the last time you flew at night?" Ironhide chuckled.

"I could take you, you know, I doubt your holoform weighs anything." I grinned, reaching out for him. He backed away but I was too fast and before he realized what I had down we were out the window and rising the wind. He seemed too shocked as we rose higher above the city. "See, it's fine."

"For Primus' sake, don't drop me." He growled. In response to this, I gripped him tighter by his elbows and tilt downward into a dive. He screamed and kicked as the ground got even closer. I rolled over once, then rose again. "Don't do that again, ever." Ironhide hissed as I set back towards the Witwicky's house.

"Baby." I chided him as I set down in the backyard. Luckily all of the neighbors were inside so no one was around to see us. I walked inside, amused by Ironhide growling behind me about 'fragging femmes and their slagging egos'. When I looked back he had disappeared and i took this as my cue to head to bed. The next morning I was shaken awake by Judy, causing me to almost bat her with a wing as I panicked slightly.

"Easy Liz, you need to get up for school." She smiled. I groaned, pulling my wing over my head.

"Already? Why?" I asked.

"Go on, get ready and Ironhide will take you." Judy, or Ma, ordered. I regretfully let my wings go back to subspace so I could get one of the new shirts on. After I had finished brushing my hair and securing my bangs with a clip I clattered downstairs. Sam was there biting into an apple, letting the Chihuahua run around his feet. Ironhide's holoform stood there, watching teh little dog with contempt.

"Mornin'!" I chirped. He nodded, moving away from the dog which had taken a sudden intrest in his foot.

"No, Mojo." Sam chided the dog, lifting it away from Ironhide's foot.

"You know Ironhide, I could take them both." A young blonde man I hadn't noticed before. He wore a bright yellow shirt, black cargo pants and possessed the Autobot's bright blue eyes. Ironhide looked over at him, the contempt now directed in a different way. "Okay, sorry! I just asked." The man held up his hands in defense.

"Sparkling." Ironhide growled.

"Stubborn aft." The other man responded. I rolled my eyes, finally figuring out who that was. Bumblebee.

"Sam you need to get moving, I don't want her late." Judy, I just can't think of her as Ma, called.

"Allow me, Mrs. Witwicky," Ironhide offered, "Liz, come along." I snorted but followed him, picking up the backpack that sat on the table. It was one of those messenger bags that crossed your chest. It was slightly heavy so I suspected that Judy had gotten all of my supplies. Ironhide handed me up into the truck before reappearing in the driver's seat. His body roared to life, pulling out of the driveway and heading down the street.

"You think you're so smooth, don't you?" I asked, laughing at him. He merely grunted in response, pulling up to the large industrial like building that was Tranquility High School. Once I set off for the main office I heard him pull out, then glimpsed him parking in a space close to the school. I entered the school, was handed a scedule and a map and told to report to class right away. The classes were relativly boring, most things I had learned already. I only jumped during my Math class when for some reason a COM link opened up in my mind.

**Liz? Liz, it's Ratchet.**

**Hi Ratch.** I responded, fiddling with a pencil. Atrithmetic functions were no problem for me so I blocked the teacher out.

**How are you doing? Has the Energon come back? Have you had any trouble getting anything out of subspace? Have you- **He cut off as another voice interrupted, the deep growl that emerged when Ironhide was angry.

**Ratchet! She is in school! I can watch over her just fine. **He seemed to yell at Ratchet.

**Alright, guys I'm getting off.** I focused on blocking them out and was relieved to hear their insult contest fade from my mind. The nasaly bell rang and the students, perfectly imitating Pavlov's dogs, rose from their seats and made their way out. I followed, drawn by the sounds of a confrontation up ahead.

"Trev, back off. Please!" I heard a familiar female voice yell. I pushed my way to the front of the group, wanting to get a glimpse. Mikaela was standing in front of Sam, staring down a large, musclely, jock. I stepped forward, wishing I could raise my wings. Usually when I was faced with a fight I would lift my wings, they unnerved others and often ended the fight without a bit of conflict.

"Mikaela, what's goin' on?" I asked, staning next to her.

"I'm gonna beat that bitch's ass for fuckin' with my girl!" The jock, Trev, yelled. I glared at him, holding his gaze with my own.

"I would suggest you leave, now." I growled, interrupted by the shrill whistles of security as they made their way through the crowd. He cast a look from the incoming security and back to Sam. The conflict in his eyes was clear. I could see his muscles tense, even before he formed his hand into a fist. I summoned a little bit of Energon, then let it fly at him. It struck him in his calf and he was down cluching it as I hurried Sam and Mikaela away. After entrusting them to Bumblebee, school was over after all, I skipped back to Ironhide.

"Nice truck!" One guy hollered as I stepped into the driver's side. I ignored his comment, prefering to pretend to start the engine.

"Well Ironhide, you have anything to say?" I asked him, patting the top of his dash. With a slight flash his holoform appeared in the passenger's seat, attired in a black shirt and some black jeans this time.

"You need to be more responsible." He chided.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not even having the need to press the brake as he stopped at a red light.

"I heard about your almost fight." Ironhide turned to glare at me, fixing me with his piercing eyes.

"Yeah, well, nothing happened." I tightened my grip on the wheel.

"I don't care, you ever get that close to getting in a fight again and I will rip the roof off of that school and crush whatever organic decided to harm you." He declared, turning his gaze to look out onto the road. He pulled smoothly into the driveway, turning himself off.

"Are you okay?" I asked, jumping out of the seat.

"My functions are perfectly fine, why?"

"You sounded like you were going to get mad at me, then you just said that you'd beat the living crap out of that guy." I shrugged, almost to the door.

"Liz, I care about you. Why would I harm you or even be angry with you?" He called back to me.

"I don't know Ironhide, it's just, it's a human thing." I panicked, stepping inside and shutting the door. A small flush rose to my face, which I immediatly hid by letting my hair swing forward. _Relax, he's just a guy. It's fine, you're just friends. _I repeated these thoughts as I climbed the stairs. Once I got to my room I threw my bag on the floor, grabbed a pillow, pressed my face into it and screamed out my frustration.

* * *

**Heh, heh . . . sorry about the wait! I just haven't had any inspiration for these stories for quite a while. I mihg tupdate a few more of my stories, I might not but I just wanted to let you know that they're not abandoned, I just haven't had the urge to write for them for a little while.**


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